Wheels & Tires Semi-Tech General discussion of wheels and tires for the Ford Ranger.

wheel spacers??

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Old 05-01-2008
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wheel spacers??

so im kinda regreting buying 33x10.5 and i want my tires to stick out a little more from the fenders does anyone run wheel spacers or is it just a bad idea i have a pic of the ones i plan on buying

so let me kno if its a bad idea
 
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Old 05-01-2008
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Wheel spacers/adapters are sometimes a necessary evil -- and they can be a problem. I'm running them in the rear to adapt my 31 spline FX4 axle to 5x5.5 pattern of a full size F-150.

1. They're aluminum and tend to "spread" under the lugnuts. Make sure you carefully follow the torque requirements and check and retorque them as specified or you might regret it.

2. They're of varying quality. The ability of some of them to properly center on your wheel hub is suspect. I think mine are off. Buy good quality ones and don't cheap out if you do this.

3. Like anything that pushes your wheels outward, they increase stress on front end components particularly and our front ends are very weak.

There may be others with more to say, but frankly I wouldn't put them on unless you absolutely need them.
 
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Old 05-01-2008
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I have them on the back of my truck to make my rear wheels even with the front (lift spindles on front) and they aren't bad but you will most likely have to cut your stock studs shorter. Make sure you buy hub centric ones.
 

Last edited by korey89; 05-02-2008 at 05:06 AM.
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Old 05-01-2008
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so besides the having to maybe cut the stock lug have you had anyother problems??
 
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the bolt on ones like you're getting aren't that bad. its the ones that just sit between the hub and the wheel that will cause problems like wheel offs.
 
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how much you paying for them
 
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$65 shipped
 
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Originally Posted by braddokxlt
so besides the having to maybe cut the stock lug have you had anyother problems??
Nope, but I haven't had them on too long. Having them on the front will be worse then having them on the back like I do tho.
 
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what site did you go to i need to get a pair too i have not heard of any problems about them a friend of mine has had them for 5 years an no problems so ya
 
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ha ebay i guess ill see how good of quality they are
 
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Old 05-02-2008
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Originally Posted by bdiddy
the bolt on ones like you're getting aren't that bad. its the ones that just sit between the hub and the wheel that will cause problems like wheel offs.
Justy FYI: the experts, including those who manufacture spacers, disagree with you on the bolt on ones. Don't treat them casually or you could still lose them. Do the retorquing as I mentioned before and that will be in your instructions. When I did mine, they took quite a bit more turning after being on there for awhile.

I don't know if you'll have to trim your lug nuts -- but you might need to trim your studs if they stick out past the end of the spacer. Most spacers come with nuts to bolt them to your studs which are the right depth already, and nothing changes in the way your wheel bolts up.
 
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Originally Posted by n3elz
I don't know if you'll have to trim your lug nuts -- but you might need to trim your studs if they stick out past the end of the spacer. Most spacers come with nuts to bolt them to your studs which are the right depth already, and nothing changes in the way your wheel bolts up.

Yeah I meant to say studs instead of lugs

I got mine here http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZsscramblin
 
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Old 05-02-2008
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Wheel spacers/adapters are sometimes a necessary evil -- and they can be a problem.
Your post is right on.

A big factor I would also weigh in is the offset of your wheels. If they are stockers and you move them out an inch it will be similar backspacing to most after market wheels, (MT classics) and similar stresses. Which usually isn't disastrous.

After some research I decided to give them a try a little over a year ago because the fiberglass made the 12.5s look tucked. I ran them on all corners for about a year. The wider track up front looked cool but made the truck wander around on the road and gave some bumpsteer. Eventually I traded them for wider tires.

As people said if you get them tighten them down gradually to make sure they center on the lugs. I measured the factory studs around 1.25" long, but have read if you get under 1.5" spacers you will have to trim the studs.
 
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i got a set for 70 a piece or so..

http://www.adaptitusa.com/

you get what you pay for -- IMO

havent had any problems i just got them so i can run 5 on 5.5 wheels..
 
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yea the spacers im looking at are 1.25 and the wheels i got have the same backspacing as the stock wheels withc i was also a little mad abaout so your saying it would kinda be the same stress as a aftermarket mt wheel? a 1.25 spacer on stock backspacing
 
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It won't be much different than using lower backspacing, you're correct -- just more stress than you have now is what I meant.

My adaptors I'm using are also 1.25".
 
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